Berry-seed separator.



,445. I PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

H. HOLTON.

BERRY SEED SBPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28. 1905.

OOOOOOO OOOOOOO OOOOOOO 0.000000 O00 O00 O00 O00 O00 Ililll llilllll IIIIIIIIIIII UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERRY-SEED SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24:, 1906.

Application filed June 28,1905- Serial No. 267,412-

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD" HoLToN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Amsterdam, in the county of Montgomery and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Berry-SeedSeparators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to separators, and it is more particularly a devicefor extracting the juice and pulp from berries.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, anddurable device of this character which will quickly cut and compress theberries and which is provided with means whereby the seeds will be re-.tained while the juice and pulp will be forced into any suitablereceptacle provided for it.

The invention consists of a perforated receptacle having a perforatedbottom supported at a suitable distance from the lower end thereof, andthis receptacle is adapted to receive a hollow plunger in which isseated a cutting-toolhavingahandle extendingfromit.

The cutting-tool can be removed from the plunger and used independentlythereof for the purpose of chopping the berries, and after they havebeen chopped the cutting-tool is insertedinto and locked in the plungerso that bymanipulating the same handle again the cut berries can bepressed to force the pulp and juice through the apertures. The inventionalso consists of the further novel features of construction andcombination of parts here inafter more clearly set forth, and pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown the preferred form of myinvention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly insection, of the cylinder. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof. Fig. 3is a section through the plunger and showing the cutting-tool lockedtherein, said tool being partly in elevation and partly in section; andFig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the cutting-tool with the handleremoved.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 1 is a receptacle,preferably cylindrical in form and having its wall provided with a largenumber of perforations 2, which are too small to permit the passage of aberry-seed therethrough. These small perforations extend downward as faras the bottom 3 of the receptacle, which is located at a point removedfrom the lower end and has a series of perforations therein. The bottomis supported by transversely-extending partitions 4, and that portion ofthe Wall of the receptacle located below the bottom has large apertures1 therein, so that the juice which may accumulate beneath the bottom canreadily flow out from the receptacle.

The cutting-tool used in connection with the receptacle preferablyconsists of a ring 5, having a strip of metal 6 coiled therein, and thecoils are maintained a proper distance apart by a transversely-extendingstrip 7, which is soldered or otherwise secured to the upper edges ofthe coil. The lower edges of the coil are all in the same plane with thelower edge of the ring. Arms 8 extend upward from the coil at desiredintervals and are secured to the handle 9.

The third member of the separator consists I of a disk 10, having anannular flange 11, and the cutting-tool is adapted to be placed upon thedisk and surrounded by the flange. Spring-catches 12 are secured to theinner surface of the flange, and When the tool is inserted thesespring-catches automatically en gage the ring 5 and hold it in position.

The disk and its flange constitute a plunger for compressing the berriesso as to extract the juice and pulp. The berries having been placedwithin the receptacle and upon the bottom 3, the cutting-tool is forceddownward upon them a number of times and serves to finely divide thematerial. Said tool is then inserted in, the plunger and isautomatically locked in position by the catches 12. As the plunger fitssnugly within the receptacle 1, the fruit will be pressed through theapertures in the wall and bottom of said receptacle, and as the seedscannot be forced through the apertures they will be retained in thereceptacle while the desirable portions will pass into any suitablereceptacle in which the separator may be placed.

It will be seen that this device is very simple and durable andconstitutes an eflicient means for separating the seeds from berries andother like juicy fruits. Receptacles having different sizes of aperturesmay be utilized for adapting the device for use with different berriesand fruits.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a separator, the combination with a perforated receptacle; of aplunger adapted to slide Within the receptacle, a cutting-tooldetachably secured Within the plunger, and a handle connected to thecutting-tool.

2. In a separator, the combination With a perforated receptacle; of aplunger, a ring therein, a coiled blade secured Within the ring, ahandle connected to the ring and means for detachably securing the ringWithin the plunger.

3. In a separator, a cutting-tool comprising a ring, a coiled bladesecured therein, one

edge of the ring and the blade being in the same plane, means forholding the coils at proper distances apart, and a handle con- 15 nectedto the ring.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

HOWARD HOLTON.

Witnesses:

MATT LEW DUYER, CHRISTOPHER J. HEFFERNAN.

